New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-11
CORRUPTION IN BROOKLYN.
REpoRr OF raE BACON COMMITTEE.


REPORT OF THE BACON COMMITTEE
prsrnrcr-ArroRNEY RIDGwAY, CHIEF SEvINs AND
OTHERS SEVERELY ARRAIGSEp.
The majority report Of the Assembly Investigating
Committee which has examined the affairs Of Brooklyn
and Kings County will be presented to the Assembly 70
DAY by Chairman Bacon but Is probable that tne
discussion Of 1t will DO laid over until next week, after
IA ordered printed The committee worked three days
week upon the matter entrusted to It, but the memoers
regret that they unable to do more thah pa'o
the work As shown In Its preliminary report 'no o
mittee recommends that salaries be paid TO the
and County Clerk and that the receipts OF the enern
Office be made public and he receive moderate SALARY
ana he entitled at the end Of his term TO the amount lett
of the roceipts of the Office after satisfying all claims
OF John Y McKane who is Supervisor Of Grayesend
a. well as Chief Of Police and president OF the water
Board Town Board Board OF Health, and Board OF Audi
tors OF tho town, the report says:
The committee recommends the Immediate indictnent anu
prompt prosecution McKane In order tha IL n
Sses whose ss trust he has 50 completely betrayed
OF Justice Of the Peace Anthony warng who Is associ
ated wit McKane in all the boards Oh GraVesenu 'n0
committee says: ,orr.
tain arns be longer e 90
his oses IN az Of facts which have
which easy 70 snd the in immediate in
detmst aud vigorous prosecution Of MI Wlng for perjury
s,% r from .Sf ss ocs Justice peace
After showing the close relationship between BrooRdyn
and Coney Island the recommends the enactmen
of law making the whole of Coney Island ana so muen
of the land lying between 1t and Brooklyn as VIII contain
the chief connecting streets between the two an ineer
The management of the once 1Sr
Rdaway is carefully reviewed Concerning pooseilng
under the administration OF the FORMER inc report
s oss 1p tqe until General catn office It
r that at THIS .aS %s as n0
WAS 9Fa S,s SsasSEaO' for his
In relation to the dismissal OF certain policy ndlct-
ments at the close OF General Catns term he evdence
Of General Catlin, AssstantAttorneys Backus ana
Oakley aud Chief Clerk Bacon is reviewed and the con-
clusion is:
dna GpT SlpUa IN procuring tbs q these
SS apy Gs' not possSo 70 explain
nsa Rscs 2, %ers for ntu;tng to such
C sssk 90 sp aoSSsy oc
District Attorney Ridgway Is poried In tnls style;
Upon the evidence before does not admit OF DOUBT
J. That Mr. Rdgwsy has systematically and Deliberately .so
SecuOn Sa ont Of such violations these have
s Issa Sc sno% f punish Then
their committed nevertheless lGr reasons
framed from taking steps whatever to make good his
ha, although the with the to break
snsn sa% to sReTdss the power
That although numerous nave Desn for
sambng offences lie has deliberately and Systematically con
vs SE
gal and 70 which JShn IL MSDSGs id Inherent person
the qPGn SUsS sd IT
into dsrepute prosecution q such oaenGrs oo,,,v
,nleiissn and important offender who Mr. Rdgyays
client ninth he and smsce OF the
conviction permitted Bauer 10 go wnou1 aSs mo
approval or acquiesence OF the court. -. .,o
That in OrSr to any eam Mr. d
way in October 1886 advised the Grand Jury that mere E
cause forfeiture all his emOluments although sneh was
and although there was no reason 10 oeheVe ~
Thee facts necessarily demonstrate that Mr. Ridgway
should not be DIS Attorney OF Kings County.
We that this report and the upon wnea
nay usual method proceed against James so Sns HaS
mnstrstion OF and the welfare OF the state
The report sets forth the administration OF the De
parment Of Charities ana 81 Is IN hv farm mo-
excessive price was paid Commissioners reeve Willis
rangement with Mr. Smith whereby he would have had
to pay il the sellers OF property mad not done
After pointing out the abuses OF the ClVl service
system in Brooklyn. the report says
Impossible 70 Mayor WI 6 rpm R Te
the law should be observed Bqs ne mas "a b 's
ssS !, 0ss fS pSveT
theory and IN az RsT1 81 It's is one q
hs The Mayors ignorance Of the violation OF the let
his who are heals Of nn canpSt
them lie has the ampest of ledge II utterly
IN Ne sG HoS 81 Ss lis
ordnates and not himself we're the sGtive ana tehO
The position Of the City Auditor held to be sinecure
and he passage of the bill now before the Assembly
ropsodating the office with the Mayors office recon-
mcnded The bill to remedy the evils connected Win he
management OF the Inebrates Home is also approved
In relaiion TO the arrangement between the city and
the telephone company for Joint use OF poes IL IS set
Economical for the city should have been left
TO a verbal understanding Concerning Cniet Ehslneer
Neyns OF the Department the committee, after re-
viewing his relation the telephone and telegraph com
panies in connection With putting up wires ana lis se
auriug interest In such companies, says;
against Chet NeVlns we
should be clearly Of The opinion tha %tno4 b tSp n
the stringng Of wires the city OF Brooklyn that through
maj Se %sV OF hoso desiring to string wires
desiring 70 string wires ne reeeDe1
In against Chief Neyns we should clearly be o. he
official position.
But this i. said the least part of the case against
Chief Nevns His connection with the electricllgh mat
ter reviewed nj great length and the CONCLUSIONS are
these:
Chief Nevins either guilty the bribery OF the Alder
neo or he guilty larceny q the q Pope sewa
&c s@i se ,a 'e9 se Sevs reeevea from Pope
Co AID Charles G9opsI amt h9 % ss5 and less
possible M cOopsr q S a SRa by f h S on May
a. 1854 the Of u and t9fn S Scn the
g"y Pom IN money ntrustsd 10 him Ills offences
been by the deliberate aud wiul iasehoods win
s reO%%sS King; County Ss4 using
the power and the amper time NJ her
smpeI time necessary promptly the facts as
lness that Sey at once ndc Thomas both
o bribery and G s a aS sr aso %Gney W
MT Charles Cooper painfully constrained TO say;
has in our opinion guilty Deliberate witul iasehoV
under oath before testified " ignorance when nc
had know testified 10 facts which are untrue
and he to be untrue We Iecognze neea 40"
ssrious been TO which he has Deen SUP
teeted in This this temptation ought not
u be considered whose duty s to investigate inc
facts whose duty II is 10 prosecute OIL
fepders against the law -
The report is signed by A. 8. Bacon r. b Arnold ana
premont Cole The complete text would I'LL zen pages
Of THE TRIBUNE. Tho minority report signed oy Assem-
blymen Greene and Cutler, will DO only about three col
MINIS In length.